A group of neo-Nazis and white supremacists met in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 13, for a “Unite the Right†rally. It was scheduled in response to the removal of a Gen. Robert E. Lee statue in a local park.
The night before, they marched through the University of Virginia with torches chanting phrases such as “Jews will not replace us!†and “Blood and soil.â€
During the protests, one of the white supremacists allegedly killed someone and injured many by driving his car into an open group of people. Photos that have immortalized the horrors of those few days are haunting to look at.
The unfortunate series of events brought many issues to the light.
The fact that a group of people in the 21st century can still hold genuine beliefs of racial superiority is detestable on every level. White nationalists are a group of brainwashed fools who the Republican Party wants nothing to do with, and we denounce their beliefs and their alignment with our party on every level.
White supremacy at its core is a collectivist ideology that views humans in the masses, rather than individuals. Conservatism empowers the individual based on their personal beliefs instead of their appearance, gender, heritage or color of their skin.
Racism is not dead in the United States, and unfortunately, the actions that transpired in Charlottesville, validate this.Â
President Donald Trump’s response to this heinous event was met with criticism because instead of specifically denouncing the neo-Nazi group, he condemned violence on both sides.
President Trump could have taken a stronger stance against the white supremacist group, but he was spot-on regarding the fact that hate-fueled violence does not solve issues.
Antifa was among those protesting the neo-Nazi event. Contrary to Antifa’s twisted beliefs, protesting ideas of intolerance with intimidation, harassment and violence does not equate to a glowing picture of tolerance.
They themselves use fascist methods to provoke their counterparts, who often do not possess views as radical as the group in Charlottesville. Antifa’s agenda is the “alt-left†equivalent of the “alt-right.â€
Amidst these important issues, there are still the lingering questions surrounding the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue.
Both sides conveniently use this dilemma for their own agenda when something terrible happens. It’s mainly a distraction from the issues that actually matter, but both sides still make compelling arguments.
Destroying these statues will not erase history, but maybe it’s time to recognize these figures generally held radically different values than many people of today.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the Confederate monuments within Memphis in the future.
The good news is that amidst this bleak time, there is hope. The U.S. has made an incredible amount of progress within the past century, and that is a fact.
Even though the presence of white nationalists appears to be overwhelming, this group actually represents an incredibly minuscule percentage of the American population. Although people with these twisted ideologies do exist today, maybe one day they won’t.
Until then, we must realize that we are all Americans, and we are all one people.
Amber McCollum is a sophomore at the University of Memphis. She grew up in Germantown, Tennessee, and attended Houston High School. Currently, she is pursuing a major in art education in order to be an art teacher. She is involved with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry and the U of M College Republicans.Â
